Lead User Acquisition Manager

Dave is a financial app on a mission to build products that level the financial playing field. It is redefining the financial landscape by leveraging technology to create an affordable, transparent, and user-centric access to liquidity for millions of Americans. As a leading innovator in the U.S. financial services sector, Dave’s digital financial platform offers products designed to meet the credit needs of those underserved by traditional financial institutions. Dave’s offerings include its flagship ExtraCash product, providing members up to $500 within minutes. The company is on track to launch several new product offerings in 2026, including a Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) option.

Dave is focused on serving Americans who are financially vulnerable or living paycheck to paycheck. Dave is leading the charge in creating a new era of credit products that prioritizes speed, affordability, and accessibility, making it the go-to financial partner for those who need it most.

We're looking for a Lead User Acquisition Manager to spearhead paid media strategy and drive user acquisition across our new product ecosystem. You'll own the UA playbook from strategy to execution specifically for our new product launches.

You'll own paid media and channel strategy for new product launches plus ongoing management, with focus on scalable campaign infrastructure, creative excellence, and driving efficient customer acquisition. You'll work closely with Product, Finance, Analytics, Marketing, and Martech Engineering to align UA strategy with our product roadmap and identify how product improvements unlock better acquisition metrics. This role is ideal for someone who thrives building strategies from scratch in high ambiguity environments.

• Build Paid Media/Channel Strategy — own the end-to-end UA approach for each new product launch. Determine which channels to test first, define audience targeting and segmentation, set realistic performance goals, and build a repeatable playbook that scales across multiple products. You'll go from zero to proven strategy in weeks, not months.

• Channel Evaluation and Testing — Assess and test potential paid channels (Meta, TikTok, Google, Apple Search, affiliates, programmatic, emerging channels) for each product. Conduct upfront research on competitive bidding, expected CPMs/CPCs, and channel-specific dynamics. Own the decision on which channels to prioritize and scale, backed by testing data and unit economics.

• Growth Forecasting & Budget Allocation — Partner with Finance and Product to establish user acquisition targets and growth forecasts for each product launch. Set realistic projections, allocate budget across channels, and own monitoring performance against goals. You'll translate business growth ambitions into achievable acquisition strategies. Drive deep understanding of CAC, LTV, CPMs, CPCs, and profitability for each product and channel combination. Identify optimization opportunities and scale levers. Own the ongoing work to protect unit economics while growing, ensuring acquisition remains profitable as Dave expands

• Campaign Optimization & Scaling — Partner with teams on day-to-day campaign management, optimization, and performance improvement. Scale winning channels aggressively while cutting underperformers. Lead the continuous testing and iteration that improves acquisition efficiency over time.

• Creative Testing Framework & Content Strategy — Develop and manage a testing framework for creative themes, ad formats, copy angles, and messaging. Own the ads portfolio and what resonates with target personas. Work with research teams and competitive benchmarking to inform creative strategy and stay ahead of market trends.

• Martech Setup — Work with Martech, Engineering, Product, and Analytics to establish the foundations for scaled paid acquisition. Define event tracking and deeplink requirements, establish campaign structure and audience taxonomy, set baseline metrics and dashboards, and own the pre-launch checklist. You'll ensure technical readiness so acquisition can scale from day one.

Your work directly impacts Dave's ability to scale new revenue streams and reach millions more financially vulnerable Americans who need accessible financial products. By building efficient, sustainable customer acquisition engines for our 2026 and onward product launches, you'll drive company growth and expansion into new markets while maintaining profitability.

• 8+ years of paid media, user acquisition, performance marketing, or growth marketing experience, with demonstrated success building strategies from scratch for new products and market entries.

• Track record of successful new product launches using paid acquisition — you should have concrete examples of products you've launched and the results you achieved.

• Deep knowledge of paid media channels (Facebook, TikTok, Google, Apple Search as examples) including how they work, bidding mechanics, and optimization best practices.

• Strong analytical skills — You understand CAC, LTV, ROI, and unit economics deeply. You're comfortable with data, can spot trends, and make optimization decisions based on performance data.

• Campaign management and optimization experience — You've managed budgets, monitored performance, and scaled winning campaigns while cutting underperformers.

• Comfort with ambiguity and strategic thinking — You thrive when you need to build strategies that don't yet exist. You're not looking for a playbook; you're writing it.

• Excellent communication skills — You can articulate strategy clearly to leadership, collaborate across teams, and translate data into actionable insights

• Hands on mindset — You're willing to wear multiple hats and jump into tactical work when needed. You're not looking for a role where you only manage; you execute too.

• Fintech or financial services industry experience

• Experience with Buy Now Pay Later products or emerging new product ideas.

• Familiar with organic strategies (App Store Optimization, etc)

This is a fast paced role where you'll move quickly from strategy to execution, managing multiple product launches simultaneously. You'll have significant autonomy to shape UA strategy and make channel decisions, while being supported by a data-driven culture where every decision is backed by metrics and testing. Be prepared for evolving priorities as product roadmaps shift and new opportunities emerge. You'll be expected to lead with conviction while staying adaptable.

• Mission driven impact — You'll build customer acquisition strategies for financial products that serve millions of underserved Americans. Your work directly impacts financial health and accessibility for people who need it most.

• Significant scope and growth — Dave is fast-growing and expanding into multiple new product categories in 2026. You'll have the opportunity to shape UA strategy across multiple launches and scale from day one.

• Strategic autonomy — This is a founding UA role for new products. You'll have significant creative freedom to build strategies, test channels, and make decisions with limited constraints or playbooks to follow.

• Strong resources and support — You'll partner with world-class Product, Engineering, Analytics, and Marketing teams equipped to support your initiatives. You'll have the budget to test, learn, and scale winning channels.

• Meaningful challenges — You'll solve complex problems: reaching underserved audiences, building acquisition models for emerging financial products, managing unit economics in competitive channels, and driving profitable growth.

Don’t let imposter syndrome get in the way of an incredible opportunity. We’re looking for people who can help us achieve our mission and vision, not just check off the boxes. If you’re excited about this role, we encourage you to apply. You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles.

Why you’ll love working here: 

At Dave, our people are just as important as our product. Our culture reflects the values that guide who we are, how we work, and what we aspire to be. Daves are member-centric, helpful, transparent, persistent, and better together. We strive to create an environment where all Daves feel valued, heard, and empowered to do their best work. As a virtual-first company, team members can live and work anywhere in the United States, except Hawaii. 

A few of our benefits & perks:

💚 Opportunity to tackle tough challenges, learn and grow from fellow top talent, and help millions of people reach their personal financial goals

💻 Flexible hours and virtual-first work culture with a home office stipend

🏥 Premium Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance plans

👶 Generous paid parental and caregiver leave

💰 401(k) savings plan with matching contributions

📈 Financial advisor and financial wellness support

🏖️ Flexible PTO and generous company holidays, including Juneteenth and Winter Break

🎉 All-company in-person events once or twice a year and virtual events throughout to connect with your team members and leadership team

Dave Operating LLC is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and is dedicated to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants and do not discriminate on any basis protected by federal, state, or local law, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance relating to an applicant's criminal history.

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